Concert features bands from the US, UK

Saigon Outcast will host an International Live Music concert featuring the US band Tonstartssbandht and the UK's The Magic Pinions on December 13.

Tonstartssbandht, consisting of two brothers Andy and Edwin White, will play boogie, 60s psychedelic rock and choral pop with a guitar and drum, while The Magic Pinions will present instrumental, chill out and ambient music.

The performance will begin at 7pm at 188/1 Nguyen Van Huong Street in District 2.

Tickets are VND200,000, and are available at www.ticketbox.vn.

BikeNBrunch fun ride set for Saturday

BikeNBrunch will hold its fun tour on Saturday, December 6.

The participants will gather at 8.45pm at Backyard Bia Hoi (15/50 Quang Khanh Street) and set off on a relaxing two-to-three-hour cycling trip.

It's not a race, just a nice leisure tour to meet some new people. Afterwards, the group will return to Backyard Bia Hoi, where the participants will be served brunch by Tet Decor Cafe.

Cost: VND195,000/adult, VND145,000/child under 12 years. To register, send an e-mail to ole@exoticvoyages.com to let them know your name, whether you need a rental bike (cost VND140,000) and if you want to stay for the post-tour brunch.

HITS to perform James and the Giant Peach

Tomorrow the Ha Noi International Theatre Society (HITS) will debut its winter show of James and the Giant Peach.

The popular children's novel, written in 1961 by British author Roald Dahl, has been a book-shelf favourite for over 50 years, and now it's time for Ha Noi to experience a slice of the magic.

The action-packed extravaganza guarantees to delight and surprise the eyes, ears, noses and hearts of all who come along for the ride.

James and the Giant Peach will be staged at Drama Theatre (behind the Opera House), 1 Trang Tien Street, tomorrow and Saturday. Following showings will happen December 12 and 13 at 7.30pm. Matinee shows on December 6 and 13 are at 3pm.

Tickets are available at The Kitchen, 30 To Ngoc Van Street; The Ha Noi Social Club Cafe, 6 Hoi Vu; Puku, 16/18 Tong Duy Tan Street; The Republic, 7A Quang An Street.

Sculpture creations on show in city

A sculpture exhibition themed Saigon-Hanoi 2014 is taking place at the Fine Art Association of HCMC until this Sunday, featuring many creations by leading sculptors in the two cities.

The works on display were created as a result of a six-year Saigon-Hanoi sculpture project. This project is considered as a good opportunity for sculptors in the two cities to meet and share new sculpture tendencies.

This event held in HCMC for the first time marks the fourth year of the project.

Artist Phan Cam Thuong said there is an obvious difference between the northern and southern sculpture creations. Hanoi’s works were made based on traditions while Saigonese sculptors highlight the modern time.

Sculptors of both cities combined various art forms to create works of great value and significance. They use wood, plastic and metal materials to shape their sculptures.

Hundreds join charity scooter run Saturday

There will be about 500 bikers joining Scooter Run VIII - the Dong Nai Derby, organized by the Saigon Scooter Centre on Saturday.

The ride will commence at Saigon Scooter Centre store at 35 Quoc Huong Stree in Thao Dien Ward, District 2 at 8 a.m. ahead of a 9 a.m. departure, cross the river by  Cat Lai ferry, pass through Dong Nai’s beautiful rubber plantations, and head for the Hoa Mai Orphanage in Dong Nai Province to send Christmas wishes and extend financial donations to almost 100 kids.

Upon arrival, the group will bring fun to the kids, and hold various exhibitions and showcases of the bikes.

“We are really happy to have the scooter run visiting us at Hoa Mai again this year. Last time they came, the funds raised were used to build a new bathroom block. But aside from that, the smiles on the kids’ faces make it a truly great day for all the kids,” said Olivier Rodien, founder of the Hoa Mai Orphanage.

For the first time this year, there will be no entrance fee for participants. Funds will be raised by the selling of official t-shirts and an assortment of lucky draws, raffles, auctions and lotteries throughout the day.  No registration is required, but guests are asked to bring a toy for the kids.

According to organizer Patrick Joynt, almost 3,000 bikes have joined the rides for the past seven years from Can Gio to Vung Tau, raising around US$30,000 for the charities.

For further information, visit the Facebook Page: http://tinyurl.com/scooterrun2014

Art for smaller pockets debuts

More than 40 leading contemporary artists will join the first Art for You programme, which aims to make art more accessible.

Vu Ngoc Tram, one of Art for You initiators, said the four-day event was inspired by the Affordable Art Fair, which has been held annually in London, Paris, New York, Amsterdam, Kong, Singapore and many other cities.

"Since October, we have been discussing the programme with artists, most of whom have agreed to join," said Tram, who is also the co-founder of the Manzi Art Space.

"Apart from allowing people to find work they love at a price they can manage, the programme also will help promote talent, thus contributing to the development of the domestic art market."

Notable people among the first generation of Vietnamese contemporary artists, including Ha Manh Thang, Nguyen Minh Thanh, Nguyen Huy An, Pham Ngoc Duong, will present work at the Art for You.

"Pieces by these painters often fetch US$5,000 to $50,000 a piece, a cost not every art lover can afford," said Tram, who is former art manager of the British Council, Vietnam.

However, at the Art for You, the price tags will be from $25 to $500.

Award-winning artists, such as Nguyen Manh Hung, Thai Nhat Minh, Le Duc Hanh, Pham Khac Quang, Ngo Van Sac, Doan Xuan Tang, Nguyen Dinh Hoang Viet and doll-making artist Tran Thu Hang, will also share their work at the event.

Visitors will be able to select from a collection of more than 150 sculptures, sketches, photographs, illustrations, paintings and even home designs. Visitors will also have chance meet and talk with some of the finest creative talents in Viet Nam.

Art for You, co-organised by the Manzi Art Space and art studio Work Room Four, will open from 9.30am to 7pm daily from December 5 to 8 at 14 Phan Huy Ich Street.

Cross-cultural Christmas charity concert set for upcoming launch

In partnership with several non-profit organisations and corporate donours, the second International Christmas Charity Concert, is set to take place on December 6 at Auco theater, located in Huynh Thuc Khang road in Hanoi’s Ba Dinh district.

The event, which features performances from around the world, is organised by Hanoi International Fellowship (HIF), an interdenominational, international, English-speaking church for expatriates living in Hanoi.

All the proceeds will go to support the Hagar International and Quynh Hoa Centre.

Hagar International is committed to restoring the lives of the extremely disadvantaged in society, women, mothers and children whom have been victims of domestic violence, human trafficking and sexual exploitation.

Quynh Hoa Vocational Centre, located in Hanoi’s Thanh Tri district, has helped hundreds of persons with disabilities. Many of them still suffer from the consequences of Agent Orange or Herbicide Orange (HO).

A minimum of $17,000 is needed to support these two organisations.

Tickets are available at Joma Cafe, Tea Talk, Concordia, HIF office (at 8c Ton That Thuyet in Hanoi’s Tu Liem district) and Donkey Bakery.

Work starts on restoration of ancient citadel in Dong Nai

Work began on December 3 on the restoration of the 300-year-old Bien Hoa citadel in Bien Hoa city, the southern province of Dong Nai.

The project is implemented by the Central Fine Art Company under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism with a total investment of 14 billion VND ( 667,000 USD).

According to Le Tri Dung, Director of the Relic Management Board of Dong Nai Province, the citadel has become seriously deteriorated .

The project focuses on restoring the ancient building in the western side of the citadel, he added.

According to old historical books, Bien Hoa Citadel, originally named Cuu Citadel, was first built in the 14th -15th century using soil. It was 1,588.6m long, nearly 4m high and its walls 4.7m thick. In 1837, Cuu Citadel was rebuilt using stone and renamed Bien Hoa during the Nguyen dynasty.

It is the only ancient military architecture in the South of Vietnam to remain until today.

In 2008, Dong Nai rovince recognised Bien Hoa Citadel as a provincial historical relic, and in 2014 the citadel was ranked as a national historic relic by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Laos’ national art troupe makes fascinating culture week

Laos’ national art troupe artists singing and dancing in praise of Laos-Vietnam special solidarity made an enthralling start for a Laos Culture Week event beginning in Ho Chi Minh City on December 2.

Co-organised by the Vietnamese and Lao Ministries of Culture and Information, the Laos Culture Week forms part of activities to celebrate the 39 th anniversary of Laos’ Liberation Day (December 2, 1975-2014).

The artists sang songs in Lao and Vietnamese languages to extol the late President Ho Chi Minh and the special ties between the two countries in addition to performances to reflect Lao people’s daily practices and traditional customs.

At the opening ceremony, Lao Deputy Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Buangan Xaphuvong expressed gratitude to the Vietnamese Party, State and people for immense assistance and collaboration in wartime as well as in the current national development.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Huynh Vinh Ai spoke of the further cooperation in culture and tourism between the two countries.

The event is running to December 7 in other southern provinces of Hau Giang and Vinh Long.

Hanoi Social Club launches Tiny Music Club

On Tuesday, December 9, The Hanoi Social Club will kick off its Tiny Music Club, Ha Noi's newest live, regular music event.

It will be the most personal of musical experiences, as the audience will get to be up close and personal with the performers in a room with a fireplace on the second floor of The Hanoi Social Club.

Every week, the event will feature a different special guest who will accompany folk guitar maestro Brendan Naughton.

The event will be held from 8.30pm to 10pm. The Hanoi Social Club is at 6A Hoi Vu Street. Tickets cost VND50,000 and are available at the venue.

Underground music crew celebrates anniversary

The Beats Saigon, a music-event promotional crew, will bring New York City-based rapper and producer Le1f to the city to celebrate the Beats' eighth anniversary at Cargo Bar on Saturday.

He will perform along with Saigon-based audio and visual electronic band Space/Panther, and two local DJs, Jase and Jin.

Le1f, whose real name is Khalif Diouf, runs the hip-hop label Camp & Street, a subsidiary of Greedhead Music. He is well-known for his unorthodox production styles.

The show will start at 9pm at 7 Nguyen Tat Thanh Street in District 4. Entrance fee is VND180,000.

More information can be found at www.thebeats-saigon.com.

Districts 2 and 4 to host Christmas fairs

The Spirit of Christmas fair will be held at the Villa Song Saigon in District 2 on Saturday. The event will include a magic show, kids' art workshops, a cooking contest, a fashion show and a silent auction to raise funds for Thien Binh Orphanage in Dong Nai Province.

The fair will be held from 3pm to 7pm. Tickets are VND400,000 for adults, and free for children. For advance booking, contact christmas2014shoppingfair@villasong.com.

The non-governmental organisation Loreto, a children's charity dedicated to offering educational opportunities for underprivileged and disabled students, will host a Christmas Market and Music Night at Cargo Bar on December 12.

The market, to be held from 4pm to 9pm, features festive gifts and items, food and drinks, and raffles and auctions.

A concert featuring singer Thanh Bui and artists from Soul Music Academy will begin at 9.30pm.

Entry to the market is a donation. All proceeds from the event will directly benefit children who live in remote areas.

For more information on entrance, contact trangle@loretovietnam.org, or call (08) 39106364 or 01214414153.

HCM City book fair offers discounts, rare books

A book fair that opened yesterday at HCM City's Exhibition House offers readers an opportunity to buy their favourite books at discounts.

The five-day fair, held annually at the end of the year by the Nha Nam Culture and Communications Company, offers publishers a forum to advertise their books and assess the book market and reading trends.

This year's event has attracted 20 publishers from around the country.

The exhibition will feature fun events like a Blind Date with a Book in which customers should pick a book whose title is obscured from a short description or keywords from the book's content written outside.

"Do not judge a book by its cover" is the message intended through this game.

There is a stall selling rare old books dating back to the 1950s and an area displaying discounted books.

The fair is at 92 Le Thanh Ton Street, District 1.

Contemporary art featured in online exhibition, auction

A unique collection of contemporary art consisting of photography, printmaking, drawing, oil and silk painting, ceramic, assemblage, and sculpture works will be on display at an online exhibition and auction held together with paddle8.com, a San Art fundraising initiative.

Thresholds of Motion, comprising works by 21 artists that San Art has been working with since its opening in 2007, features the vibrant images of HCM City, Hoi An, Ha Noi, New York, Phnom Penh, and Kabul.

The exhibition is "an aesthetic space of contemplation where the intersection of culture, society, politics and science reflects the depth and complexity of their localities", according to a release by the gallery.

The exhibition will be live on paddle8.com from today to December 18.

Holiday scooter run to benefit disadvantaged kids

Around 500 bikes of all shapes and sizes will take part in the 8th Charity Scooter Run this Saturday to raise funds for disadvantaged kids.

The ride will depart from HCM City to Hoa Mai Orphanage in Dong Nai Province to spread Christmas cheer, according to the organiser, Saigon Scooter Centre.

Upon arrival, activities will include a visit from Santa, fun and games for the 100 kids at the orphanage, and various exhibitions and showcases for the bikes.

For the first time this year, there will be no entrance fee for participants. Funds will be raised through sales of official t-shirts and an assortment of lucky draws, raffles, auctions and lotteries throughout the day.

No registration is required, but guests are asked to bring toys for the kids. Around 3,000 bikes have joined the rides over the past seven years, raising almost US$30,000 for the charities.

Giac Ngo Magazine launches Buddhist photography contest

Giac Ngo, a Buddhist Magazine launched the third Buddhist photography contest to mark the 40th  anniversary since it released the first news edition (1st January, 1976- 2016) and highlight traditional values of Buddhism and the nation’s traditional cultural festivals via three topics of historical sites, landscapes and Buddhist festivals.

The annual photography contest has attracted professional and auto matic domestic and foreign participants.

Participants can send all entries to the address 85 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, ward 6, district 3 in Ho Chi Minh City from now until November 1, 2015.

The organizers will award 22 valuable prizes for the best photographers, including one first, two second, three  third prizes and five consolation prizes for each topic.